Seydlitz, Friedrich Wilhelm von

(1721 –1773) was a Prussian officer, lieutenant general, and among the greatest of the Prussian cavalry generals. He commanded one of the first Hussar squadrons of Frederick the Great’s army and is credited with the development of the Prussian cavalry to its efficient level of performance in the Seven Years’ War. Seydlitz’s superb horsemanship and his recklessness combined to make him a stand-out subaltern.
He became legendary throughout the Prussian Army both for his leadership and for his reckless courage. During the Seven Years’ War, he came into his own as a cavalry general, known for his coup d’œil, his ability to assess at a glance the entire battlefield situation and to understand intuitively what needed to be done: he excelled at converting the King’s directives into flexible tactics. Seydlitz was wounded in battle several times. He semi-retired in 1759 to recover from his wounds, charged with the protection of the city of Berlin.
In 1851, Friedrich Wilhelm IV, included Seydlitz’s name on the Equestrian statue of Friedrich der Grosse in Berlin, honouring those who had helped to build the Prussian state. Seydlitz holds a position of honor as one of the four full-sized mounted figures, sharing the first tier of the plinth with the King’s brother, his cousin, and Hans Joachim von Zieten.